Chicago native (8 years) answering any ?'s about the Chi Forum

[09042014]

what is your take on the neighborhood surrounding the university of chicago? how difficult is the trip from hyde park to the michigan avenue/downtown/gold coast area?

The CTA has their info on Google Maps. It'll tell you which routes, and the estimated time if you ask for directions and select public transportation.

With car 25 minutes, by bus/el over an hour.

FAIL. If you hop on the jackson park express(number 6) or the X28, the trip downtown takes 20 minutes.

Yea big time fail. I shouldn't have trust google maps. It didn't make sense that it took so long. Then again all I know about teh south side is that the city fucked them on public transportation compared to the northside.

[Rosebud523]

I live right downtown in river north! Its amazing and the EL and bus stop are at my apartment so its pretty convenient. You probably don't want to live in the south loop its not very fun lol

[arb44]

What banks have branches around Chicago?

Thanks!

[09042014]

What banks have branches around Chicago?

Thanks!

Chase is fucking everywhere.

[Oban]

What banks have branches around Chicago?

Thanks!

Chase, Citibank, Bank of 'Merica(newly expanding) etc

[ToTransferOrNot]

I feel like people in this thread are not accurately showing how big a pain commuting via public transit would be to UoC.

The green/red line (they both come through Hyde Park, red line is perhaps .5 miles further from campus than the green line) would both require transferring to the route (55?) bus. Even from there, if you get off the bus at 55th and woodlawn, you still have a few (long, in the winter) blocks to walk.

The X28 and 6 don't really stop anywhere near the law school. However, you could get off either bus at the Hyde Park/East End stop, and catch the 172 from there. Still looking at a 30-40 minute commute, depending on how lucky you get with the timing of the transfers.

Keep in mind, UChicago does not provide its students with CTA passes, so you'll be paying these commuting expenses, aside from the 172.

Honestly, I question the sanity of anyone who doesn't live in Hyde Park if they're going to the law school. I understand that Hyde Park is lame, but it is much more efficient to commute to downtown the 1-2 days a week you're going out (i.e., bar review) than it is to commute 5 days a week for classes. Not to mention, Hyde Park is considerably cheaper. More reasonable if you're driving--there is enough parking around the law school that you can find something if you're coming to campus rather early--but it still doesn't make sense to me.

[ToTransferOrNot]

On the classic 1-10 scale, how much is the city of Chicago losing by the presence of this man:

?

11

[théo]

thanks. how efficient is chicago public transportation anyway? do you guys think having a car is a necessity for a law student?

Here's the CTA map: http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ ... ainmap.png

It's actually really efficient.... and although I've always had a car in the city, I also have a garage. If it weren't for my garage, I don't think I would have had a car here. Parking is pretty atrocious and the term ticket nazi applies. The meters (come on Mayor Daley) were privatized so they're a little cartel as well. Parking sucks... I'll leave it at that.

With that said... the city is a blast, the train will get you almost everywhere so I'd say a car isn't completely necessary.

If you decide not to live in Hyde Park, I think it's best to have a car. Waiting for public transit in the middle of winter is not fun.

[Knock]

Any safety tips for someone who has never lived in a big city? Is it safe to take the L (El?) to and from Hyde Park?
How cold is it really, and what cold-weather gear is a must have?
What's your thoughts on Hyde Park?

[RTFM]

I feel like people in this thread are not accurately showing how big a pain commuting via public transit would be to UoC.

The green/red line (they both come through Hyde Park, red line is perhaps .5 miles further from campus than the green line) would both require transferring to the route (55?) bus. Even from there, if you get off the bus at 55th and woodlawn, you still have a few (long, in the winter) blocks to walk.

The X28 and 6 don't really stop anywhere near the law school. However, you could get off either bus at the Hyde Park/East End stop, and catch the 172 from there. Still looking at a 30-40 minute commute, depending on how lucky you get with the timing of the transfers.

Keep in mind, UChicago does not provide its students with CTA passes, so you'll be paying these commuting expenses, aside from the 172.

Honestly, I question the sanity of anyone who doesn't live in Hyde Park if they're going to the law school. I understand that Hyde Park is lame, but it is much more efficient to commute to downtown the 1-2 days a week you're going out (i.e., bar review) than it is to commute 5 days a week for classes. Not to mention, Hyde Park is considerably cheaper. More reasonable if you're driving--there is enough parking around the law school that you can find something if you're coming to campus rather early--but it still doesn't make sense to me.

This. I was an undergraduate at the U of C, and public transportation was a huge pain. Downtown is really close but not particularly easy to get to via public transit (there are a few buses that will take you to the Loop, but none of those are close to the law school campus, and if you want to get anywhere else in the city you're looking at transferring from bus to train). While the El system in general is pretty great, the South side is woefully under-served.

[ahduth]

How are the Cubs going to deal with Alfonso Soriano contract?

[fruittree57]

Any safety tips for someone who has never lived in a big city? Is it safe to take the L (El?) to and from Hyde Park?
How cold is it really, and what cold-weather gear is a must have?
What's your thoughts on Hyde Park?

Hyde Park, imo, is a pretty neighborhood and pleasant to walk around. There's a lot of nice older houses plus a lot of open space - the Midway, the Point and other parks. Aesthetically, I really enjoyed living in Hyde Park - it was my first experience living in a city and personally, I found the environment pretty ideal. But it left a lot to be desired practically.

My biggest pet peeve, representative of Hyde Park in general, was the food. The restaurants are okay, not really good, and limited in number. The restaurants I went to semi-frequently were Salonica, Noodles, Harolds, Sammy's, Rajun Cajun, the Med, Vallois and Thai 55/the Snail. I didn't strongly dislike any of them at first, but really grew tired of going to the same places over and over. Hutch, the university run food court, is horrible. Bad, overpriced food and unpleasant service. I hated going there so much, but often had no time to go elsewhere when I had morning and afternoon classes. The grocery stores are similarly lacking. Treasure Island has the worst layout of any store I've been in and is over-priced. Hyde Park Produce is nicer, particularly for the deli, but is small. Because of these alternatives I ended up eating at Subway or Potbelly's probably 4-5 times a week.

In theory, you could leave Hyde Park and go somewhere nicer to eat, but as people have said above, public transportation out of there is kind of a hassle. When you factor in how much work you have, it becomes really tough to leave. I found that even when I did have free time, I was so burnt out from working that I didn't feel like going out.

On safety, the same things that make the neighborhood nice to walk around during the day, make it dangerous at night. A lot of the streets aren't well-lit, the parks aren't at all, so there are a lot of places that are difficult to police. Plus, a lot of families live in Hyde Park, so the streets generally become pretty empty by 9 or 10. All of this makes it slightly dangerous to walk alone at night (I was mugged on time).

Overall, I loved the school though. Hyde Park has many faults, but it is, for better or worse, a part of the school's rigor.

[JollyGreenGiant]

^^^ Blatant anti-Giordano's trolling.

[gator6589]

Do you know much about the area around Kent is presidential towers a solid choice? Im from FL so I figure traveling to get to class in cold weather is going to be a pain so I rather live by the school than away. Whats your take on this area/apartment complex?

[gbpackerbacker]

Any safety tips for someone who has never lived in a big city? Is it safe to take the L (El?) to and from Hyde Park?
How cold is it really, and what cold-weather gear is a must have?
What's your thoughts on Hyde Park?

Hyde Park, imo, is a pretty neighborhood and pleasant to walk around. There's a lot of nice older houses plus a lot of open space - the Midway, the Point and other parks. Aesthetically, I really enjoyed living in Hyde Park - it was my first experience living in a city and personally, I found the environment pretty ideal. But it left a lot to be desired practically.

My biggest pet peeve, representative of Hyde Park in general, was the food. The restaurants are okay, not really good, and limited in number. The restaurants I went to semi-frequently were Salonica, Noodles, Harolds, Sammy's, Rajun Cajun, the Med, Vallois and Thai 55/the Snail. I didn't strongly dislike any of them at first, but really grew tired of going to the same places over and over. Hutch, the university run food court, is horrible. Bad, overpriced food and unpleasant service. I hated going there so much, but often had no time to go elsewhere when I had morning and afternoon classes. The grocery stores are similarly lacking. Treasure Island has the worst layout of any store I've been in and is over-priced. Hyde Park Produce is nicer, particularly for the deli, but is small. Because of these alternatives I ended up eating at Subway or Potbelly's probably 4-5 times a week.

In theory, you could leave Hyde Park and go somewhere nicer to eat, but as people have said above, public transportation out of there is kind of a hassle. When you factor in how much work you have, it becomes really tough to leave. I found that even when I did have free time, I was so burnt out from working that I didn't feel like going out.

On safety, the same things that make the neighborhood nice to walk around during the day, make it dangerous at night. A lot of the streets aren't well-lit, the parks aren't at all, so there are a lot of places that are difficult to police. Plus, a lot of families live in Hyde Park, so the streets generally become pretty empty by 9 or 10. All of this makes it slightly dangerous to walk alone at night (I was mugged on time).

Overall, I loved the school though. Hyde Park has many faults, but it is, for better or worse, a part of the school's rigor.

What does being mugged usually entail? (serious question-- i mean is it usually violent or a just take your wallet sort of thing)

What cold-weather gear is a must have?

[Bumi]

Say it's the deepest depths of winter, a cold that I can't even imagine. How far away of a distance is too far to walk?

Another question: where can you buy groceries in the streeterville/river north area?

[barry]

What does being mugged usually entail? (serious question-- i mean is it usually violent or a just take your wallet sort of thing)

What cold-weather gear is a must have?

[/quote]

with mugging it depends if they have a gun it is pretty simple and painless as long as you hand your shit over, if its a group of guys with no weapons they will probably beat the shit out of you

edit: i went to UG in Chi (not U of C) and basing this off of experiences of my friends, although one of my friends got pistol whipped in a mugging it really depends on how you act and the person messing with you

[Bumi]

Holy thread necromancy.

Son of a. I didn't even check.

[LaLeyDelMonte]

Say it's the deepest depths of winter, a cold that I can't even imagine. How far away of a distance is too far to walk?

Another question: where can you buy groceries in the streeterville/river north area?

I've walked half a mile in -30. It was terrible (frozen eyelashes) but I could've gone longer.

There's a Jewel (or is it Dominick's?) at Grand & State, right off the red line stop, and another huge grocery store on Grand east of Michigan Avenue, near the AMC theater. There's also a Whole Foods near Chicago & State and a ton of fancier grocers in those areas.

[fruittree57]

^^^ Blatant anti-Giordano's trolling.

I like Giordano's in general but didn't have a positive experience at the Hyde Park branch. That's another knock against food in Hyde Park - there isn't really a standout pizza place. Pizza Capri is good but I remember it being expensive, Edwardos and the Med are average. I did hear good things about the Homemade Pizza place and to an extent Leonas, but never tried them.

[gator6589]

Does the city shut down when it gets in the - degree range

[09042014]

Does the city shut down when it gets in the - degree range

No.

[Eugenie Danglars]

Thanks for taking Q's (or not, not sure if OP is around), but does anyone have thoughts on best cell provider? I'd like to stay with Verizon since I have two upgrades and could get a free iPhone, but that's no good if I can never take calls.

Also, some family wants to know what sort of gift cards I'd like as a present. What office supply shops are most prevalent (OfficeMax, Staples, etc.)? Also, which grocery stores? Thanks!

[LaLeyDelMonte]

Thanks for taking Q's (or not, not sure if OP is around), but does anyone have thoughts on best cell provider? I'd like to stay with Verizon since I have two upgrades and could get a free iPhone, but that's no good if I can never take calls.

Also, some family wants to know what sort of gift cards I'd like as a present. What office supply shops are most prevalent (OfficeMax, Staples, etc.)? Also, which grocery stores? Thanks!

I can only speak on AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T service was spotty and I had a lot of dropped calls, especially indoors. I switched to T-Mobile and it's been great for me. I have several friends with Verizon who haven't had any problems.

I've seen more Staples than Office Max locations around the city, but they both have big stores in the Loop so either one will work. Jewel and Dominick's are the most prevalent grocery stores in the area, with Dominick's being a nice option. They're remodeling most of their stores and adding a lot of higher-end products.

[Eugenie Danglars]

Ok, thanks for the info!